[Blake Warren]

1741
Gateroom/Control Room

Steve said the only thing he could to her. "We don't, Cooper. Best we can do is try not to be screwed over too badly by the Devas." Yep, Steve mused in his head, gods were no more tolerable when you had proof of their existence. Maybe they could make some kind of allies out of the supercilious prigs though.

He looked at Fulcur. He'd been wanting another officer after all. "Well, this is going to be fun. To the armory then. I consider myself easy to work for as long as you're not stupid or excessively disrespectful, Major."

As Blake followed Fiala, he called up to the control room. "I dispute that!" 

1856
Gateroom

Steve settled his own body armor, P-90 attached in place and looked back at Cooper. "Vest fitting okay, Cooper?" He did a quick circle of both her and Malhotra, checking their gear and making sure they were in right size of tac vest. And really, looking at Cooper, Steve didn't think they made body armor that small.

It was an effort to briefly lighten the mood as Steve watched Blake tighten the straps of his tac vest, mentally stopping himself from stepping on the toes of the rest of SV-1 and checking Blake's gear himself. "For the record, if I take a 9 mm slug in the back, Warren right here to trying to get his half million."

Blake rolled his eyes and hid the grin. "Please, I've never once thought of shooting you off-world for the insurance. Maybe a 100 times, but never once. And off to the Emerald City. If we're saving Dorothy, unfortunately I'm pretty sure I count as the Scarecrow."

Up to the event horizon, he stayed behind Fiala and Harper.

<<tag Nick Harper, Lequana Ka'ti of Partho, Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr, Isabelle Cooper, Grant Fulcur, Akash Malhotra>>

[Isabelle Cooper]

1856
Gateroom

Finding clothes that fit her smaller frame was hard enough, so when it came time to get ready for a gate trip, it was even harder to find items that wouldn't swallow her. With the help of Col. Hamrick and Sgt. Harper she found the only size small vest left on the base, and for a "small" it still was big on her. Isabelle felt like a kid trying to wear adult clothes. 

But the good thing about all the gear, even if some of it did not fit her that well was that she would not be going on the trip unprepared. She even had a side arm, just in case. While everyone else carried a P90, Cooper had a M9 pistol in a holster on her hip, though she wasn't a marksman, she had been taught enough to know how to use the gun and not shoot herself. 

"Vest fitting okay, Cooper?"

Isabelle looked up from the pocket she had been fiddling with and nodded, "As good as it is going to I believe." she replied, and that was the truth, there was only so much of adjusting and tightening you could do before you could do no more. "For the record, if I take a 9 mm slug in the back, Warren right here to trying to get his half million." Cooper looked over to Dr. Warren and then back to Hamrick, she started to ask what he meant with the but changed her mind, "Lets hope no one shoots anyone today." she said quietly. 

Nick was walking past her when she made the last comment, "Come on Coop, gunfire always makes things more fun!" he said as he moved past, "And it's not like I haven't patched worse up before." he added giving her a smile, Isabelle didn't share in his humor. He reached the Gate just in time to hear Blake call himself the Scarecrow, Nick adjusted his vest, his eyes going to the pool of blue known as the event horizon, "Just thought I'd let ya'll know...I hate that movie. Damn flying monkies."

[Grant Fulcur]

1741
Gateroom

"Colonel Hamrick," Bobby turned to face the Leader of his the third team, "Major Fulcur," his gaze went to man for a second, "will join your team as your XO. I hope, Major, that you have no issues with this?"

Fulcur's pulse jumped for a second, which was his bodies fight or flight instinct kicking in. Something told him his cover was not holding as well as he'd hoped. But this was not the time to worry about it; the expedition was about to embark on a reckless and ill-advised rescue attempt against living deities; if this was to be one of his last reports, it would be a good one.

"Not with the appointment sir," Fulcur said, locking eyes with the Oxford, saying very sternly, "It would be an honor."


1856
Gateroom

Fulcur managed the large strap on the XM109 he was bringing from the armory; from what the mission reports had stated about these deities and their armies, the team would need as much stopping power as possible, and this was the best platform to deliver it.

"To the yellow brick road?" Bobby said.

"Off to the Emerald City," retorted Blake, "If we're saving Dorothy, unfortunately I'm pretty sure I count as the Scarecrow."

"Just thought I'd let ya'll know..." Harper stated, "I hate that movie. Damn flying monkies."

"You're a lucky man if flying monkeys are the worst things you run into on this mission," Grant eyed Izzy; he didn't like the idea of taking a civilian on a search and rescue mission that inevitably would end in a hot exfil. Another thing to put in the report, and another life to protect. This, Grant thought as swung the XM109 around to his front, must be why so many people are against women on the front lines. Grant knew he felt responsible for keeping her safe, and when they were going in to save a princess to begin with, having another distressed damsel to manage might not be the best tactical decision.

"Just thought I'd let you all know," Grant said as he checked the chamber on his XM109 one last time, "that I'll be playing the role of Tinman." He let the pin slam the chamber closed, "And I will only skip under direct orders."

Grant was the last through the event horizon, and gave one last significant glance to the remaining Oxford before stepping through.

<TAG Blake Warren , Isabelle Cooper , Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr , Steve Hamrick , Lequana Ka'ti of Partho >